ESVAGT appoints Jakob Thomasen as Chairman

ESVAGT, the dedicated provider of safety and support at sea, has appointed Jakob Thomasen as Chairman with effect from May 1, 2018.

Jakob brings more than 30 years’ experience of the transportation and oil & gas industries gained from over 28 years at A.P. Møller - Maersk, the last seven of which he was Chief Executive Officer of Maersk Oil and a Member of the Maersk Executive Board.

Jakob is currently Chairman of the DHI Group, a world leader in the management of sustainable water environments, and a non-executive director on the Boards of Lundin Petroleum AB, an independent oil and gas exploration and production company, and the University of Copenhagen. He is also Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Hempel CoaST research center at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). In addition, Jakob coaches and advises executives and boards on leading transformational safety and operational performance programmes.

ESVAGT will benefit from Jakob’s leadership skills. In addition, his extensive experience of the oil & gas and transportation markets, and his particular focus on safety, will be invaluable to the company going forward. With the offshore wind market on a path of rapid growth and the company’s oil & gas activities recovering fast, Jakob’s role will be to help ESVAGT take the next steps on its growth path.

Kristian Ole Jakobsen, Interim CEO of ESVAGT says: ‘It is great to have Jakob as our Chairman. I am confident that ESVAGT will benefit from his extensive business and leadership experience. Jakob has a passion for safety, which will help drive our value proposition in the years to come.’

ESVAGT’s shareholders said: ‘We’re very pleased with the appointment of Jakob as Chairman. 3i and AMP are convinced that his experience and leadership skills will help ESVAGT provide an even more compelling service to its customers and will be instrumental as we continue to grow ESVAGT.’

Jakob Thomasen comments: ‘I am delighted to take this role and am excited by ESVAGT’s growth prospects. The offshore energy market is on an exciting path – offshore wind is growing fast and the oil & gas business is picking up pace after some years of lower activity. I know ESVAGT and its markets well from my past in the offshore business and ESVAGT’s services fit perfectly in my portfolio of safety related activities.’